Copyright American Dietetic Association.

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Acute Kidney Injury Nutrition Therapy Page 1
Client Name ______________________________________ Date ________________
RD/DTR ______________________________________________________________
Email ____________________________________ Phone ______________________

Acute Kidney Injury
Nutrition Therapy

Healthy kidneys get rid of protein waste products, extra minerals,
and fluid that your body does not need. Because your kidneys are
not working well, you need to follow a special meal plan.

Recommended Foods
Adapted from National Renal Diet (Harvey KS. A Healthy Food Guide for People on Dialysis. Chicago, IL: American
Dietetic Association Renal Practice Group; 2002.)

Protein Choices
High-Protein Foods
Limit high-protein foods to _____ servings per day. One serving of protein is:
Beef (1 oz)
Egg substitutes ( cup)
Eggs (1 large)
Fish (1 oz)
Lamb (1 oz)
Pork (1 oz)
Poultry (1 oz)
Shellfish (1 oz)
Veal (1 oz)
Wild game (1 oz)

High-Protein Foods with Phosphorus
Limit high-phosphorus, high-protein choices to ______ per day:
Cheese (1 oz)
Cooked dried beans and peas ( cup)
Evaporated milk ( cup)
Milk (1 cup)
Nut butters (2 Tbsp)
Organ meats (1 oz)
Soy milk (1 cup)
Sweetened condensed milk ( cup)
Tofu ( cup)
Yogurt (1 cup)

Acute Kidney Injury Nutrition Therapy Page 2
Lower-Protein Foods

Vegetables
You may have _____ servings of vegetables per day. Fresh or frozen vegetables have less salt
than canned. Serving sizes are cup unless otherwise stated.

The chart groups vegetables by potassium content. Your doctor and dietitian will let you know if
you need to avoid vegetables that are high in potassium.

Low-Potassium Vegetables Medium-Potassium
Vegetables
High-Potassium Vegetables
Alfalfa sprouts
Bamboo shoots (canned)
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Corn
Cucumber
Eggplant
Endive
Green beans
Lettuce (1 cup)
Mushrooms
Onions
Radishes
Water chestnuts (canned)
Watercress
Asparagus
Broccoli
Celery
Kale
Mixed vegetables
Peas
Peppers
Summer squash
Turnips
Zucchini
Artichokes
Avocado
Beets
Brussels sprouts
Chard
Greens (beet, collard, etc.)
Kohlrabi
Okra
Parsnips
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Rutabagas
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Tomato juice (low-sodium)
V-8 juice (low-sodium)
Wax beans
Winter squash
Yams


Breads, Cereals, and Grains
You may have _____ servings per day of breads, cereals, and grain.

Breads and Rolls:
Bagel ( small)
Bread, all kinds (1 slice or 1 oz)
Bun, hamburger or hot dog type ()
Cornbread, homemade (2 oz)
Danish, pastry, or sweet roll ( small)
Acute Kidney Injury Nutrition Therapy Page 3
Dinner roll or hard roll (1 small)
Doughnut (1 small)
English muffin ()
Pita or pocket bread, 6-inch diameter ()
Tortilla, flour, 6-inch diameter (1)

Cereals and Grains:
Low-salt, dry cereals, such as Corn Pops, Cocoa Puffs, Sugar Smacks, Fruity Pebbles,
puffed wheat, or puffed rice (1 cup or 1 oz)
Cereal, cooked, such as cream of rice or wheat, farina, or Malt-o-Meal ( cup)
Grits, cooked ( cup)
Pasta (noodles, macaroni, spaghetti, etc.), cooked ( cup)
Rice, cooked ( cup)

Crackers and Snacks:
Crackers, unsalted, 2-inch size (4)
Graham crackers (3 squares)
Melba toast (3 oblong pieces)
Popcorn, unsalted (1 cups, popped)
Pretzels, unsalted sticks or rings ( oz or 10 sticks)
Tortilla chips, unsalted ( oz or 9 chips)

Desserts:
Sugar cookies (4)
Shortbread cookies (4)
Sugar wafers (4)
Vanilla wafers (10)

Grain Foods with Added Sodium and Phosphorus:
Limit of the following grain foods to _______ servings per _________.
Biscuits, muffins (1 small)
Cake (1/20th of a round cake, or 2 2-inch square)
Cornbread from mix (2 oz)
Fruit pie (th of a pie)
Oatmeal ( cup)
Pancakes, waffles, 4-inches across (1)
Dry cereals, most brands ( cup)
RyKrisp crackers (3)
Sandwich cookies (4)
Whole wheat cereals, bran cereals ( cup)

Acute Kidney Injury Nutrition Therapy Page 4
Fruits
You may have _____ servings of fruit per day. Unless otherwise stated, serving sizes are cup.

The chart groups fruits by potassium content. Your doctor and dietitian will let you know if you
need to avoid fruits that are high in potassium.

Low-Potassium Fruits Medium-Potassium Fruits High-Potassium Fruits
Apple (1)
Apple juice
Applesauce
Apricot nectar
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cranberries
Cranberry juice cocktails
Fruit cocktail
Gooseberries
Grape juice
Grapes
Lemon or lime (1)
Papaya nectar
Peach (canned)
Peach nectar
Pear (canned)
Pear nectar
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tangerines
Watermelon
Cherries
Cantaloupe
Figs (2 whole)
Grapefruit
Grapefruit juice
Mango nectar
Papaya
Peach (fresh)
Pear (fresh)
Rhubarb
Prunes (5)
Raisins
Apricots
Banana (1 small)
Dates ( cup)
Honeydew melon
Nectarines
Orange (1)
Orange juice
Prune juice


High-Calorie Choices
You may have _____ servings per day from this list of high-calorie foods.

Chewy fruit snacks and candies (1 oz)
Cranberry sauce or relish ( cup)
Cream cheese (2 Tbsp)
Fruit chews (4 or 1 oz)
Fruit drinks (1 cup)
Fruit roll ups (2)
Gumdrops (8)

Hard candy (4 pieces)
Honey (2 Tbsp)
Jam or jelly (2 Tbsp)
Jelly beans (15)
Lifesavers (13)
Margarine or butter (1 Tbsp)
Marmalade (2 Tbsp)
Acute Kidney Injury Nutrition Therapy Page 5
High-Calorie Choices (Continued)
Marshmallows (5 large)
Mayonnaise (1 Tbsp)
Mints (13)
Non-dairy creamer ( cup)
Non-dairy topping ( cup)
Popsicles, juice bars (1 bar)
Salad dressing (1 Tbsp)
Soda pop (1 cup)



Sorbet (cup)
Sour cream (1 Tbsp)
Sugar, brown or white (2 Tbsp)
Sugar, powdered (3 Tbsp)
Syrup (2 Tbsp)
Tartar sauce (2 Tbsp)
Vegetable oil (1 Tbsp)
Whipped cream ( cup)


Exchange Meal Pattern (If Applicable)
Plan your daily menu to have:
_____servings of meats and other high-protein foods
_____servings of vegetables
_____servings of breads, cereals, and grains
_____servings of fruits
_____servings of high-calorie foods
_____ounces of fluid

Meal Planning Tips

You may or may not need to limit certain foods due to acute kidney failure.
Your dietitian will help you determine which foods are appropriate to include in your diet
and which foods you should avoid.
Based on your individual needs, your dietitian will determine how many calories and how
much protein, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus you can have on a daily basis.
Buy and eat the foods shown on your meal plan.
Plan menus based on what you typically eat. Add snacks as needed.
Plan meals for special occasions, and think about what you will eat when you are going
to a restaurant.

Notes:







Acute Kidney Injury Nutrition Therapy Page 6
Sample 1-Day Menu

Meal Food Choices
Breakfast cup cranberry juice
1 cup puffed wheat cereal
1 egg
1 slice toast with 2 teaspoons margarine and 1 tablespoon jelly
1 cup coffee with 1 teaspoon sugar and tablespoon non-dairy
creamer
Lunch Turkey sandwich: 2 slices bread, 1 ounce sliced turkey, 2 lettuce
leaves, 1 slice tomato, 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
cup cucumber salad
1 tablespoon oil and vinegar dressing
1 medium apple
1 cup lemonade
Evening
Meal
cup pineapple juice
1 ounce broiled fish
cup rice
cup green beans
1 cup tossed lettuce salad with 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar dressing
1 dinner roll with 2 teaspoons margarine
cup sliced peaches
1 cup iced tea
Snacks 1 baked apple with non-dairy whipped topping

Approximate Nutrition Analysis:
Calories: 1,662; Protein: 38g (9% of calories); Carbohydrate: 280g (66% of calories); Fat: 48g
(25% of calories); Cholesterol: 247mg; Sodium: 1,303mg; Potassium: 1,731; Fiber: 14.5g

Notes: